pumped up and ready to rumble, sort of. >> it's my first time so, sure, it's a nervous situation. >> did you ever see me rope-a-dope? >> i think joe just needs to be joe. >> paul ryan set to clear any confusion about the romney/ryan ticket. >> i'm a pro-life candidate, i'll be a pro-life president. >> our position is consistent and hasn't changed. >> he can't clear up confusion on his own budget. >> i don't have the time -- it would take me too long to go through all the math. >> oh, brother. just spin already. >> i just got to ask what's your personal best? >> 1under three. >> holy smoke. >> i stand by what i said,

whatever it was. we are pumped up, fired up, and jacked up with just hours until tonight's first and only face-off between vice president joseph biden and vice presidential nominee paul ryan. and what was once regarded as a popcorn side show has taken on far greater significance in the wake of the president's less than scintillating performance last week. democrats are anxious, republicans are hungry for a surge, and as ryan and biden take the stage tonight, they have a chance to influence this election at a volatile moment. and the president himself knows he's got to push harder against his ever-shifting rival. speaking just moments ago at a massive rally in miami. >> he's trying to go through an extreme makeover.

after running for more than a year in which he called himself severely conservative, mitt romney is trying to convince you he was severely kidding. >> good one. for biden the challenge as he's outlined it for himself is a relentless prosecution of the severely conservative ryan budget. >> governor romney has embraced the ryan budget. well, he has. he's gone back and said, no, he agrees with it. i just want to make sure that when i say these things that i don't have the congressman saying, no, no, no, i don't have that position or that's not the governor's position. >> as for paul ryan, he is quick to remind everyone that he comes to this debate as the 42-year-old virgin, but the pressure is on him for him to pump up the bump that romney got in the debate last week. >> joe biden has been on this stage many times before. it's my first time, so, sure, it's a nervous situation because joe biden is one of the most

experienced debaters we have in modern politics but the achilles' heel he has is president obama's record. >> a slew of new swing state polls showing a tightening race. in ohio our nbc news/maris poll showing the president let's by six but that's down from eight points at the start of the month. it's a razor's edge race in virginia and in florida. obama up one in florida, romney up one in virginia. but a word of caution about single polls, "the new york times" and quinnipiac shows the president up by five in virginia, up by three in wisconsin, and romney up by a single point in colorado. there's much more game in this game, folks. let's get right to our panel. our man in kentucky, chris matthews, host of "hardball," and chuck todd, host of the daily rundown. chris, if i might start with you, i know you like to see a good scrap. and you were disappointed by the president's performance last

week. so you tell us, how does the 69-year-old political veteran tame the 42-year-old young gun tonight? >> well, i think he has to remind the people in the middle who are going to make the decision that this is about two very different points of view about the future of the country. the great thing about running against paul ryan is he has real beliefs. he believes we should get rid of medicare as we know it and tell 82-year-old people to go out and buy health insurance if they can find somebody to sell it to them. go get on the bus and find somebody to sell you a health insurance policy when you're 82. he believes in a fertilized second the second after conception is a person with the rights of life, liberty, and property. well, god help the mother. it's an amazing situation. people with very drastic pro-life views, drastic views about putting safety net programs, at the same time wanting to get rid of cap gain taxes, get rid of estate taxes, lower the corporate rate and the individual rate.

shift all the money to the top while taking away the economic rights of people at the bottom. this should not be a hard decision to make. i can't believe a voter -- just a minute, martin. i can't believe a voter is going to decide on the basis of dramatic performance when the distances between these two parties is so drastic. >> but you have to concede it's difficult arguing with somebody who ducks and dives with such aplomb. last week mitt romney was the lance armstrong of politics using performanceance hansing lies to win the debate. who is to say that ryan won't do the same tonight? he might just walk away from his budget. >> well, i don't think ryan will because, unlike romney, the game isn't over this week or next month. the game is beginning now for him. he has to stay attached to his right wing constituency. you can win the debate tonight if you're vice president biden by attacking ryan on the hard line positions he's taking knowing he has to fight for them.

what do you think he'll be more loyal to, his hard line positions or his running mate? i predict if he forces him to choose between these two, middle the guy, force him to choose between romney and his right wing cotillion, it will kill him. middle him. that would be my strategy. every single question you're asked, joe biden, force your opponent to decide is he going to be loyal to his personhood amendment, to his vouchers, to all that other stuff, or is he loyal to maybe winning this election. my belief is he hasn't decide fd waents to win this election or the next one on his own. he may be closer to the presidency if he loses this time than if he wins it. you you have to get into the mind, the very, very ambitious mind, of paul ryan. they're very nixsonian, they're thinking of the future, work them. >> chuck, i watched you valiantly attempt to get dan to explain how paul ryan is going to disassociate his callous budget from mitt romney's economic plan, but isn't the

point of paul ryan on this ticket that he is the severe conservative? i mean, who will turn up tonight, the paul ryan as described by chris matthews or will it be the paul ryan infected by moderate massachusetts mitt romney? >> well, i think what you heard this morning when i asked him this question, and he as mitted there were differences between them but he also tried to say the differences between romney and ryan pale in comparison to the differences between the obama ticket and the romney ticket, but he seemed to indicate that ryan's job is to defend the romney plan and the romney budget. i do think what chris points out, that what biden's strategy is going to be is to try to create a split, is try to put him in an awkward position, make him defend one or the other. i think one thing to watch for tonight is it's my understanding -- from when i was talking to the campaigns, if they get one thing out of biden tonight, the obama campaign, that is to make the base of the democratic party feel better tonight, that he gets a little

aggressive, that he goes after some core issues like abortion, like contraception to make the base feel better. on the ryan side, they know they sort of have in a weird way they have outsized expectations from their own base. the base of the republican party doesn't respect joe biden so they expect ryan to just destroy him. what they want out of this is simply perhaps to get into a very in the weeds debate, make it feel issuey, maybe even make it seem a little heavy on washington speak or congress speak because that sort of will blunt anything, sort of prevent there to be a big fight, prevent biden from able to get -- score any big victory or anything like that. >> chris, romney has doubled down on his claim that we do have health care for the uninsured, the emergency room. he told the columbus dispatch, we don't have people that become ill who die in their apartment because they don't have insurance. i guess the 45,000 who die each other due to lack of insurance

would be pleased to hear that, if they were alive. >> well, the great thing about a campaign is you hear a person's lexicon, their vocabulary around the way they think culturally. isn't it interesting that time again, at least twice now, governor romney has referred to people who aren't carrying health insurance as living in apartments. why do they all live in apartments? is that how they look at them? a lot of rural people, suburban people that go to work that don't get health insurance. bar bers, butchers, they don't get health insurance with their jobs. they're not living in some inner city apartment the way he likes to talk. that's a horrible plan for the american people. why should 40 million people have to sit in the emergency room? is that your plan? my view of tonight in scoring it, by the way, how many times do we hear the phrase vouchers? how many times do we hear the phrase emergency rooms and personhood and bankruptcy and 47%? >> and 47%. >> and bankruptcy. the president of the united states never mentioned our great auto industry and how he rescued it, never mentioned it.

never mentioned the fact that he fought for and got a law passed saying that women get the same pay as men. they didn't used to. these are great accomplishments. they're not changing the world but for a lot of people they changed their worlds. why didn't he bring this stuff up? he's waiting for jim lehrer to bring it up? waiting for him to bring up these topics? he wasn't going to do it. certainly romney -- i have to remind you, mr. frez, i said the 47% of the american people don't count. i was going to remind you, mr. president, i am going to throw 80-year-old to vouchers. i was for bankruptcy of the auto industry. do you think he's going to bring this stuff up? you have to toot your own horn. i'm not the debate coach but i'll tell you one thing, if they don't bring up their winning issues, i don't understand what they're up to. i don't know what they're here for. this is -- >> i wish you were the debate coach. >>en owe the big issues you have to bring them up. they've just heard me say, these are important issues. if you're for romney, they're important. romney be has these positions. he has to defend them.

>> chuck, you wanted to intervene. >> i would say now you're hearing exactly why from what i'm getting from the obama campaign is that they know that biden has to make the base happy tonight. this isn't about appealing to swing voters, that because of what happened last week, biden's job is to almost assuage, pump up the party, ryan's job is to knew ralize biden, if you will, come out of this at a draw at worst, or he doesn't have to play to the base, if you will, and that's what's going to be interesting tonight while in a weird way biden almost wants to force ryan to play to his base in order to create that sort of ideological spat that president obama avoided. >> yeah. >> the one that clearly exists. chris matthews, chuck todd, gentlemen, thank you so much. >> thank you. >> and, of course, chris and chuck will be part of our entire debate coverage this evening here on msnbc with "hardball" following us at 5:00 p.m. eastern.

next, paul ryan has never wavered when it comes to women's hale issues. he truly is a truly conservative and severely conservative. stay with us. >> isn't this a great campaign? ♪ everything's coming up romney ♪ the latest polls have romney neck and neck with obama. folks, this race is as tight as mitt's smile when he meets a poor person. oh no, not a migraine now. try this... bayer? this isn't just a headache. trust me, this is new bayer migraine. [ male announcer ] it's the power of aspirin plus more in a triple action formula to relieve your tough migraines.

new bayer migraine formula.

it's the thursday ahead of the vp debate, and it's time to play of what is the romney/ryan position on abortion? it would be hilarious if there wasn't so much at stake. a day after mitt romney told the des moines register that he would not pursue any abortion-related legislation as president, he told reporters in ohio that he would, in fact, take direct aim at women's health care choices and access. >> i think i said time and again i'm a pro-life candidate, i'll be a pro-life president. the actions i'll take immediately are to remove funding for planned parenthood. >> for the president, it was a chance to cast doubt on his rival's new halloween mask of mainstream mitt. >> this is another example of governor romney hiding positions he's been campaigning on for a year and a half. >> i'm joined now from danville, kentucky, by msnbc's krystal

ball, co-host of "the cycle" and cecile richards, president of planned parenthood. cecile, if i might start with you, mitt romney's been doing his women's choice gymnastics again. one minute he's perfectly fine with the status quo, the next he's gunning for women's rights and choice like a true identify l -- ideologue. what do you believe his true intentions are? >> we know exactly what they are. mitt romney has been running for six years for president and he has said he's going to overturn roe if he gets a chance and the next president will appoint a crucial justice to the supreme court. he said he's going to get rid of planned parenthood. we serve 3 million folks every year with affordable preventative health care and he wants to end the entire national family planning program which is a bipartisan program that serves 5 million folks every year with

preventative care, including cancer screenings. that's why women can't vote for him. >> krystal -- great crowd behind you. paul ryan does not want abortion in any cases whatsoever. i'm not sure what mitt romney believes. how can women give him their vote when they're not sure if they'll also be handing over control of their own bodies? i mean, does this perhaps explain the president's double digit lead in our new poll of swing states? >> yeah, i think it has been really critical, and one of the things that's been so surprising in this election is how much we have been talking about and how much women's health issues have mattered in this election. they have made a huge difference, and when we're not talking about them, we see that gender gap starting to close. as you point out, paul ryan is as far to the right as you can possibly be, as extreme as you possibly can be on a woman's right to choose. he's standing with todd akin to redefine rape in the house.

he's in favor, as mitt romney is, in favor of defunding planned parenthood. he's in favor of personhood legislation as is mitt romney. i don't think there's any question, despite what they say and any rhetorical moves they might make, i don't think there's any question where they truly stand, and cecile pointed to something very important that we need to keep in mind. even if you don't think mitt romney himself would push pro-life legislation as president, he sure as heck is going to nominate an anti-roe v. wade justice to the supreme court and could undo that progress we've had for decades. so that is something people need to not forget when they listen to the spin from the romney/ryan campaign. >> to crystal's point, vice president joe biden sponsored the violence against women act, an act he wanted reauthorized and strengthened, an act that republicans have prevent eed fr passing, and yet there we have is paul ryan and he co-sponsored two pieces of legislation with

todd akin that seeks to define rape in subdivisions, one of which they term forcible. there couldn't be a greater difference between these two on the stage tonight, could there? >> i absolutely agree. not only that, i think there couldn't be a bigger difference between these two tickets. president obama has done more to expand women's health care access than any president in my lifetime, and the incredible thing is, this isn't just about roe, this is about literally ending birth control access for women. one of the things that paul ryan has pledged to do and now mr. romney as well is day one get rid of insurance coverage for birth control for women. you know, 99% of women rely on birth control. this isn't a social issue for women, it's a basic economic issue. it's incredible to have someone running for president who is so out of touch with what women need. >> thank you both. you're being cheered by the crowd and cheered back here in new york. thank you. >> thank you. next, the president talks up

his running mate in the sunshine state. stay with you. >> i have never seen clips of a debate, i have never watched any of those reruns from four years ago. >> really? >> from the acceptance speech to the debate or anything, no. life goes on, you move forward, and i don't rehash the past. two years ago, the people of bp made a commitment to the gulf. bp has paid over twenty-three billion dollars to help those affected and to cover cleanup costs. today, the beaches and gulf are open, and many areas are reporting their best tourism seasons in years. and bp's also committed to america. we support nearly 250,000 jobs and invest more here than anywhere else. we're working to fuel america for generations to come. our commitment has never been stronger.

his morning starts with arthritis pain. and two pills. afternoon's overhaul starts with more pain. more pills. triple checking hydraulics. the evening brings more pain. so, back to more pills. almost done, when... hang on. stan's doctor recommended aleve. it can keep pain away all day with fewer pills than tylenol. this is rudy. who switched to aleve. and two pills for a day free of pain. ♪ [ female announcer ] and try aleve for relief from tough headaches. just moments ago the president spoke before a huge crowd of students and supporters in miami, florida. the sunshine state is the single biggest battleground prize in this election, and that's why both the president and mischhis challenger are frequent visitors. travel with the president is our own kristin welker, someone the

president might refer to as me and my shadow. the latest nbc news poll shows the president just one point ahead of mitt romney in florida. signs that his challenger has benefited from his debate performance last week, and we understand that the president has called his deputy from air force one to wish him the very best. is that right? >> reporter: that's absolutely right. he did. he called vice president biden, wished him good luck. martin, there is really a lot riding on tonight's debate. you're seeing swing state polls narrow, not only here in florida, but also in ohio and virginia. so i think you're going to see vice president biden come out tonight in attack dog mode. that's a mode cease very comfortable with and he's going to quite frankly, try to do what president obama didn't do, which is to defend the obama administration's policies from the past four years. i also think you're going to vice president biden go after ryan and romney for having really become a little more moderate in recent days. we're getting a preview of that

and the xr and t and the campaign trail. we heard president obama preview that a little bit in his comments when he said that mitt romney has been running for the past year as someone who is extremely conservative and now he's trying to convince you, and i quote, that was extremely kidding. of course, his challenge is really tonight not to make one of those gaffes he has been called out for in the past and, of course, he's facing off against someone who is regarded as a formidable challenger. paul ryan is somebody who is steeped in the details. someone who is no stranger to having to debate things like budget proposals and that sort of thing. so i think people are prepared for this to be a pretty close debate. the latest pew poll had 40% of people saying that they expected paul ryan to win, 34% expecting biden to win.

so in the expectations game, it really falls with paul ryan, but i think there's certainly a lot riding on joe biden's shoulders tonight. >> kristin welker in florida, thank you so much. stay with us. the day's "top lines" are coming up. [ male announcer ] how do you measure happiness? by the armful? by the barrelful? the carful? how about...by the bowlful? campbell's soups give you nutrition, energy, and can help you keep a healthy weight. campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do.

c'mon, michael! get in the game! [ male announcer ] don't have the hops for hoops with your buddies? lost your appetite for romance? and your mood is on its way down. you might not just be getting older. you might have a treatable condition called low testosterone or low t. millions of men, forty-five or older, may have low t. so talk to your doctor about low t. hey, michael! [ male announcer ] and step out of the shadows. hi! how are you? [ male announcer ] learn more at isitlowt.com. [ laughs ] hey! [ male announcer ] you start your day... love you, too. ...thinking about what's important to you -- your family... ...the mortgage... the kids' college tuition. [ cellphone ringing ] but life insurance? [ horn honking ] life is unpredictable. that's why at fidelity life we want you to think about term life insurance -- taking care of your family's future expenses if something happens to you. it's easy. we get to know you and your needs, then give you our best quote and our competitors'.

you choose and save up to 70%. that could mean $250,000 of coverage for just $15 a month. we offer plans with no medical exam, and we've been in business for over 100 years. call fidelity life. ♪ or visit fidelitylife.com for your free quote. [ horn honks ] hey, honey. do we have life insurance? ♪ [ male announcer ] or visit fidelitylife.com to secure your family's future today.

from the 42-year-old virgin to the 69-year-old gaffer. here are today's "top lines," joe versus the paul-cano. >> i think joe just needs to be joe. >> can i call you joe. >> have you called her for advice? >> i haven't. >> it's going to be the boy wonder versus mr. blunder. >> congressman ryan is smart but his ideas are the wrong one.

>> are you ready for tomorrow night? >> i am. >> this is i think paul's first debate. he may have done something in high school. i'm looking forward to it. we have a fundamentally different view on a whole range of issues. >> he's been on these big stages. this is my first time. >> governor romney has embrace ed the stance. >> what is your difference? >> our position is unified. >> governor romney went to a lot of trouble to hide what his positions are. >> i'm a pro-life candidate, i will be a pro-life president. >> i believe abortion should be safe and legal in this country. >> mitt romney has been absolutely 100% consistent on this issue. >> what you've got here is a den of lying liars and crap weasels. >> governor romney did not tell the truth serially. auto. >> are you calling mitt romney a lier? >> yes. >> i don't believe that. that's not me. i don't believe that. >> there has been consistency with me. people will know where i stand, what i believe. >> i have known paul for a long,

long time. he's always hit the ball out of the park. >> i don't want to get wonky on you but we haven't run the numbers. it would take me too long to go through the math. are you trying to stuff words in people's mouths. >> joe biden has been doing this since the 1800s. >> this race is as tight as mitt's smile when he meets a poor person. >> what's your advice to joe biden. >> i think joe just has to be joe. >> we're delighted to welcome dr. james peterson, a contributor to the griow.com and in kentucky, site of the debate itself, tamron hall, host of "news nation." we're just hours away from the debate. you just heard the president there, should joe just be joe? because sometimes that works, and other times there are unintended consequences. >> well, you know what, martin? both of us love music and i know you are a hip-hop artist in your own mind.

the bottom line is eminem says i am whatever you say i am. joe biden should always be joe biden. no one can ever beat you at your own game. my mother, a southern mama, used to tell me all the time it's only when you try to be someone else that you fail. and that is the accusation against governor romney. that is perhaps why friends of mine who are conservatives don't totally buy into mitt romney. you may make mistakes being yourself, but that you a then tisity that is needed, that is palpable, that can be felt through a television screen, it has to come from you being you. so i marvel at the fact that someone with joe biden's experience, someone like joe biden who has been in debates and won many debates, is being given advice to be himself. no one can ever beat you when you are yourself. so if that is the advice, he should certainly take it. >> can i ask you to refix your microphone because when you were speaking it was jumping and jumbling against your cheek and our viewers are not as able to

hear you as clearly as they'd like. >> they gave christmas e matthe good mike. >> this is a 62-year-old veteran versus the 42-year-old young gun. ryan is expected to take joe biden to the cleaners according to the pew poll. >> i'm a little confused by the poll but i don't want to sound like folk who don't believe in the polls. obviously it's based on some kind of statistical fftion they found. i would agree with tamron of course joe has to be joe. i would quibble with the extent he's had these blunders. some of these things i wouldn't count as the same kind of gaffes or blunders as we've seen from political candidates. his one blunter of being sometimes a little too enfouss a tick will play well because the stage has been set here for this campaign to make a really, you know, sort of powerful haymaker. so biden is the best person to be at-bat right now. >> tamron, i want to show you some images of paul ryan. i hope you will be able to see

these. these are from a "time" magazine photo shoot in december of last year that were just published today and they have taken on a life of their own. this photo started floating around facebook and twitter after people commented how the photos made him look like a cast member of the 1990s show "saved by the bell" and our own team drew the line between ryan and the character goober from "the andy griffith show." i guess image management will be paramount for paul ryan because he's not as well-known, is he, as the vice president? >> he is not, martin, and there are some people who think the release of these photographs is some conspiracy. we've heard so many alleged conspiracies related from the jobs numbers to whatever else you can imagine, the moderator. some people will see this as bad timing. i think there would be no good time to have pictures like that released. i mean, i know he works out and he enjoys it and bless him for getting in the gym. it looks like it's paying off, but i don't think that anyone should ever pose for pictures

like that. >> you don't like to see the guy's guns? you don't like to see him inviting a photographer in and showing off his physique. >> if his guns get you going, that's on you. but for me and mine, i don't want to get in your fantasies or your head, but the bottom line for me, i know if that was a female politician and we'd had these situations before where women are posed in these kinds of things, that they're looked down on, they have no credibility, he's in the gym, he's pumping up, if this were perhaps a men's fitness magazine, maybe, i don't know. erin shock did it, but this is "time," this is supposed to be the man of the year. he has to have more things to be proud of than the fact he pumps a little iron. good for him but it's not for me and my money. >> i'm really curious as to what circumstances were -- under what circumstances was he taking these pictures. what are they for? tamron is right. pictures like this for a woman politician would -- we wouldn't be talking about conspiracies.

we'd be talking about the fact her credibility was undermined. so i think for the ryan camp, they have to be very, very careful here because their image is very malleable right now because it has not been established either through his political career or through this particular campaign and that's why you're getting the kind of jokes you're getting around these images. what was he taking them for anyway? >> vanity. >> they're not racy. i don't want to go too far. it's not like this is some racy magazine, but give -- >> we're not suggesting that. >> given his youth and the fact he's not well-known. i know at the time the pictures were taken he did not know he would be picked as the vice presidential candidate -- >> he was a seven-term congressman. >> as a congressman still. >> absolutely. and somebody with ambition. so i think, you know, there's some maybe -- i think in your world they call them glamour shots in the uk. might need to leave them to the glamour models. >> enough abuse about the british, cameron. thank you very much. dr. james peterson in view as well. thank you. remember to tune into our special coverage of the debate tonight here on msnbc.

next, polls show many americans don't really know who paul ryan is. we'll continue to fill in the blanks. stay with us. >> then there was the time we said mitt was a soap opera actor. remember that? >> mitt romney played wealthy tycoon victor neuman on the young and the restless. >> you need to love and you need to be loved. >> and then there was the time we thought he was actually chuck wool ri, host of "love connection. >> her ears, her private parts, everything was so -- ♪

chances are, you're not made of money, so don't overpay for motorcycle insurance. geico, see how much you could save. everything was so -- [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus presents the cold truth.

i have a cold... i took dayquil, but i still have a runny nose. [ male announcer ] truth is, dayquil doesn't work on runny noses. what? [ male announcer ] it doesn't have an antihistamine. really? [ male announcer ] really. alka-seltzer plus cold and cough fights your worst cold symptoms, plus has a fast acting antihistamine to relieve your runny nose. [ sighs ] thank you! [ male announcer ] you're welcome. that's the cold truth! [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus. ♪ oh what a relief it is! ♪ [ male announcer ] try new alka-seltzer plus severe allergy to treat allergy symptoms, plus sinus congestion, and pain. the vice presidential debate begins in just a few hours. we know the strength of both fighters in tonight's debate. vice president joe biden has a strong command of the issues and an excellent jab, but his

challenger, paul ryan, is just as adept at ducking the issues, moving quickly away from any of the callous commitments he's made in the past. but how will they address their potential weaknesses in tonight's debate? for that we turn to nbc news senior political corredrukter m murray and professor michael eric dyson, an msnbc political analyst. welcome to both of you. mark, paul ryan does not have the name recognition of joe biden, and prior to tonight he appears to have only ever had one tough election battle, his first. so how difficult do you think it will be for him realistically tonight? >> well, this is a stage eats never been on before, and so that is a challenge for paul ryan, but one thing going in his favor is that he does come across as very strong, resolute, and confident. and in debates like this, sometimes style matters just as much as the substance. so paul ryan has that going for him. that's something we'll probably end up seeing. as we end up seeing in that

health care summit with president obama in 2010 that paul ryan can come across, make his argument very well, so that's something to watch for tonight. >> indeed, professor dyson, ryan's policies are rather well-known. there's his budget cuts to medicare, 38 co-sponsored measures on abortion and his desire to privatize social security. so there's plenty to attack. where does joe biden start with paul ryan? >> he can't figure out the head or the tail. he's got to get some gut punches in, attack the body, and then ultimately the head. look, he's got to nail paul ryan, attach him to those policies even as paul ryan, using your pugilistic metaphor, attempts to slip the punches. joe biden has to continue to nail him. he has to say you are out here talking about vouchers for health care, you were out here talking about severe cuts to medicare, you were out here speaking with social security overhauling and you are the

person who has been deeply and profoundly opposed to so-called obama care. he has to talk about that vicious budget. speak about his, if you will, redoing of the budget, but he's got to not allow him to do is makeover in the debate the same way that mr. romney did against president bush. he's got to call him on it in live time right there on the spot so that he can't associate himself with the new romney. he's got to associate mr. ryan with his budget recommendations and with the draconian measures that have been put forth in the past. >> and that budget of course voted on only a few months ago. mark, what are the other main weaknesses you see starting with paul ryan and moving on to joe biden? >> i think his biggest challenge is expectations. you have been talking about that pew poll that shows more people thought that paul ryan is going to do better than joe biden. i watched joe biden four years ago in all the democratic primary debates. he did very, very well. i think going into this debate, joe biden has been

underestimated. the guy will come off very, very well, and you end up having a republican base that has put so much energy into paul ryan, who wants him to succeed, and the expectations for his very first debate like this might be a very difficult for him. >> indeed. professor dyson, we have just learned that mitt romney met with the reverend billy graham and his son. the campaign did not immediately offer comment on whether there was an endorsement. you can see a picture there, the campaign tweeted. the elder graham, of course, is well-respected by the nation, but his son, franklin, once questioned the president's christianity as well as whether mormonism is, in fact, christian or not. so this is somewhat problematic, isn't it? >> the real religion in america is race. the whiteness of romney has obscured all concerns about his mormonis mormonism. the reality is president obama who shares the same faith as the grahams, as an evangelical in

america, is denied legitimate access to the realm of, if you will, sacred space that now mitt romney has been admitted to which lets us know your politics are more important than your religion. all that blafter and bluster about paying obesance to god is wrong. >> thank you, gentlemen. much more from kentucky when we come back. do stay with us. and two pills. afternoon's overhaul starts with more pain. more pills. triple checking hydraulics. the evening brings more pain. so, back to more pills. almost done, when... hang on. stan's doctor recommended aleve. it can keep pain away all day with fewer pills than tylenol. this is rudy. who switched to aleve. and two pills for a day free of pain. ♪ and get the all day pain relief of aleve in liquid gels.

can i call you joe? >> you can call me joe. >> barack obama and senator o'biden, you have said nothing -- >> can i call you joe or is it senator o'biden. four years ago all the praesh pressure was on sarah palin. what a diffence four years could make. when he steps onto the stage tonight, the vice president

could be carrying the fate of the entire campaign in his hands. and all of the pressure will be on him. we're joined by perry bay caan and michael sharer of "time." the new issue appears on newsstands tomorrow. perry, paul ryan and the republicans have been vigilant about managing expectations for his performance tonight. let's take a listen. >> this is his first time. joe biden has been doing this since the 1800s. he will do a solid job. >> joe biden has been on this stage many times before. it's my first time, so, sure, it's a nervous situation. >> now, i know it will come as a shock to you, perry, when i tell you that the information we just heard from messrs. probus and ryan is categorically untrue. he's debated eight times in his career as an elected official, but i guess that's the problem with mr. ryan, he reaches for

the falsehood quicker than he can cut meals on wheels. >> both of these candidates have a lot to expect tonight. for biden particularly a lot of democrats want to see a big comeback, want to see him go after paul ryan the way the president didn't go after mitt romney. ryan has a challenge because he's known as kind of the smart person in their party. if he doesn't defend the plans well and he hurts them, they will be irritated with paul ryan. >> michael, politico is citing two sources on a new story which says that paul ryan wants to be referred to as mr. ryan, not congressman ryan when joe biden talks to him tonight. what would the reason for that be? perhaps because congress is so unpopular that he doesn't want to be a associated with congress? >> if you went to the white house, and i did, a year ago or to chicago and talked to them about how they hoped this race would work out, they hoped we would be at this point in the election and they would be

running against house republicans who are dreadfully unpopular and specifically the more hard line positions of house republicans is sort of tip fid by the ryan plan. and they have that. biden is going into this debate tonight with the situation he wants, the chance to really draw a contrast between his sort of democratic populism and the conservative view and also what it represents in the house. he doesn't want to be congressman ryan because he doesn't want to be associated with the house. he's probably the best spokesperson for the hard line view in the house. >> he's the chairman of the house budget committee. >> usually the chairman of the house budget committee is not a carys ris mattic guy and he can't sell anything but paul ryan is the exception and it's not just because he lifts weights. he knows how to speak in plain terms which is something we're going to see tonight from both sides. i think in the end the winner of this debate will be determined

based on whether biden is able to sell this idea that the ryan plan, however nice ryan might seem, is not going to push the middle class forward or whether ryan is able to come out and sell the idea that his plans and romney's plans are not as scary as joe biden and barack obama want you to believe. >> right. perry, we have seen indications that mr. ryan doesn't really know how to act when he isn't being told how wonderful he is. we saw a good example of that recently when he lost it with a local reporter from flint, michigan. he's bound to be confronted tonight, is it he not, perry? how will he react when the pressure begins to come down from mr. biden? >> this is one of the big questions tonight is paul ryan has been on the stage before but never such a big stage like tonight. joe biden, of course, was -- has been vice president, has been the vice presidential debates. the challenge is biden is going to confront him and be more specific on the tax plan and the

way romney is going to cut the budget and i think ryan is going to be able to respond to that. biden is going to be very forceful tonight and i think ryan's challenge is to remain calm and concise in the face of that. i also think the moderator will be tougher on pinning ryan down, the details, than maybe jim lehrer was last week. those are two important things to watch. >> okay. final question to both of you gentlemen, and be brief if you can, michael, who is going to win tonight, biden or ryan? >> my prediction is it's going to be a close call. you will have some people on both sides saying each candidate one. probably one will have won but it won't be the kind of blowouts we saw. >> perry? >> i agree with michael generally. i think biden has one advantage in terms of he having worked on foreign policy. if it gets to be a foreign policy debate biden has an advantage there. >> thank you, both, gentlemen. we'll be right back to "clear the air." we make a simple thing.

a thing that helps you buy other things. but plenty of companies do that. so we make something else. we help make life a little easier, more convenient, more rewarding, more entertaining. year after year. it's the reason why we don't have customers. we have members. american express. welcome in. progresso. in what world do potatoes, bacon and cheese add up to 100 calories? your world. ♪ [ whispers ] real bacon... creamy cheese... 100 calories... [ chef ] ma'am [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. i've got a nice long life ahead. big plans. so when i found out medicare doesn't pay all my medical expenses,

i looked at my options. then i got a medicare supplement insurance plan. [ male announcer ] if you're eligible for medicare, you may know it only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. call now and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement plans, it helps pick up some of what medicare doesn't pay. and could save you thousands in out-of-pocket costs. to me, relationships matter. i've been with my doctor for 12 years. now i know i'll be able to stick with him. [ male announcer ] with these types of plans, you'll be able to visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. plus, there are no networks, and you never need a referral to see a specialist. so don't wait. call now and request this free decision guide to help you better understand medicare... and which aarp medicare supplement plan

might be best for you. there's a wide range to choose from. we love to travel -- and there's so much more to see. so we found a plan that can travel with us. anywhere in the country. [ male announcer ] join the millions of people who have already enrolled in the only medicare supplement insurance plans endorsed by aarp, an organization serving the needs of people 50 and over for generations. remember, all medicare supplement insurance plans help cover what medicare doesn't pay. and could save you thousands a year in out-of-pocket costs. call now to request your free decision guide. and learn more about the kinds of plans that will be here for you now -- and down the road. i have a lifetime of experience. so i know how important that is. anyone have occasional constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating? yeah. one phillips' colon health probiotic cap each day helps defend against these digestive issues

with three strains of good bacteria. approved! [ phillips' lady ] live the regular life. phillips'. it's time now to "clear the air" and today will feature one of the most perfect physical specimens to ever take the stage in a vice presidential debate, mr. p90x paul ryan. these images from a "time" magazine photo shoot reveal him in all his glory. an impressive figure indeed. while he opens himself up of charges of extreme vanity by inviting a photographer to document his workout, mr. ryan's narcissism is the least of our problems. his budget, which republicans voted through the house, is a vicious and callous attempt to cut millions of americans adrift. if ryan's plan were ever to be implemented, no less than 2 million disabled americans would lose their access to transportation services and

respite care. 10 million americans would lose their right to food stamp assistance, and if they repealed the affordable care act, 30 million people would lose their health insurance. of course, mr. ryan says he's all about putting our fiscal house in order. but, in fact, his budget is an attempt to divide the house against itself. it is perhaps fitting that tomorrow marks the release of atlas shrugged 2, a movie based upon a novel by paul ryan's favorite author ayn rand. john gault says something that perfectly encapsulates his philosophy. the first precondition of se self-esteem is radiant selfishness of the soul. for a nation one described as a city that shines upon the hill, paul ryan would switch off the lights for millions of americans. th